The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of grapevine, which will hereinafter be denominated varietally as the ‘Blanc Seedless’ grapevine, and, more particularly, to a grapevine which is large, vigorous and productive, the fruit of which is mature for commercial harvesting and shipment in mid October in the San Joaquin Valley of central California.
The ‘Thompson Seedless’ grapevine, particularly when viewed from a historical vantage point, is one of the most commercially successful grapevines to have been discovered and commercialized. The San Joaquin Valley of central California, one of the most productive areas of the world for grapevine borne crops, has seen plantings of many thousands of acres of this variety over many decades. In some respects, it is the commercial standard by which many other varieties are judged. Nonetheless, there have been many subsequently discovered, commercially successful varieties of grapevines.
With these considerations in mind, it is always a desire in experimentation to discover new grapevine varieties which have improved characteristics relative to prior successful varieties. For example, the objective may be to discover a new variety which has the attractive characteristics of the prior variety, but which may be distinct therefrom in certain respects, such as the ripening date. In this example, the extension of the market for such fruit resulting from the existence of a different ripening date enhances the market value of the fruit produced thereby, in some instances for both varieties.
The grapevine of the present invention has many of the attractive characteristics of prior commercially successful varieties, while possessing distinctive qualities which make it uniquely appealing.